1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an oil-absorbing article that has a porous outer fabric which surrounds a fibrous absorbent material. More particularly, the invention concerns such an article that has a specific polyester fluff filling material, thickness and geometric construction which provide the article with a high capacity for absorbing oil and an ability to be re-used at least five times.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Articles for absorbing spilled oil and preventing the oil from spreading on floors or other surfaces are known. For example, such oil absorbers have been used at the bases of lathes, milling machines, cutters and the like. A conformable oil-absorbing article of generally cylindrical shape having a porous, outer fabric and a filling of fibrous particles of flash-spun polyethylene, optionally containing additional particles made of foamed organic polymer, is disclosed by Bair et al, U.S. Pat. No. 4,965,129. Zafiroglu, U.S. Pat. No. 4,737,394, discloses a similar device having a porous outer fabric made from a nonwoven fibrous polyolefin layer that was stitchbonded with an elastic thread. In other such oil-absorbing articles, the oil-absorbent fibrous particles are of melt-blown polypropylene or of ground corn cobs and chaff. Generally, the density of the fibrous particles in the oil-absorbing article is in the range of 0.03 to 0.10 g/cm.sup.3.
Although the above-described absorbers do absorb oil quite well, they are limited nonetheless in their utility. Typically, the known absorbers are suited for only one-time use. For example, squeezing such oil-soaked absorbers between coacting rolls to remove the absorbed oil, often can cause the filling material of the absorber to form clumps and/or become permanently compressed. Then, attempts to use the absorber a second time results in much less oil being absorbed than was absorbed in the first use of the article. Accordingly, an object of this invention is to provide an improved oil-absorbing article that will absorb large quantities of oil and permit several re-uses of the absorber.